Lucie Tuthill Wine Blog

My friends and I (top right) at our lovely dinner  My friends and I are all taking Geography of Wine. We came together to have three types of wine with a three-course dinner this past week and had a ton of fun tasting and sipping.  Course 1: We had Bruschetta with crunchy warm baguette toast topped with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The dominant flavors in my opinion were acidic tomato and balsamic. We all agreed that the acid in the wine matched up with the acid in the tomato. I also thought that the tomato and toast made the white Barefoot Sauvignon blanc much less sweet.  Course 1: Bruschetta  Course 2: Our next course was Creamy Penne alla Vodka. This was made with thick Rigatoni and additional garlic and parmesan cheese. While it was very filling and delicious, it did not pair well with the Rose delightfully sweet barefoot wine that we got because it was too sweet and ended up overpowering the cheese.  Course 2: Penne Alla Vodka  Course 3: The dessert we enjoyed after our dinner

  Title: This wine is called Franzia Moscato. Origin: Franzia Vineyards, in Ripon & Cutler, California.  Grape: The grape is not specified on the box but is likely of the Muscat variety.  Year: It was packaged in 2022.  Price: The price was approximately $16.00. Critic Review: “Moscato’s downfall is when its sweetness overwhelms its flavors and aromas, and unfortunately, this was the case for the Moscatos from Franzia (from $14 for 5 liters, available at Drizly) and Barefoot on Tap (from $19.99 for 3 liters, available at Drizly). The Barefoot has a “weirdly sour smell,” according to multiple tasters, while the Franzia tastes like “apple juice and dive bar,” which may appeal to some tasters.” ( https://www.consumerreports.org/wine/best-boxed-wine-review-a6633856927/ ) Wine Folly: Page 139 notes that “‘Mosk-kot blank’ Moscato Bianco, Muscatel , Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains, Muskateller. An ancient aromatic white variety originally from Greece that’s available in all styles from dry to

  In my first 21 years of my life, wine has had its own place during gatherings and meals. It was a staple beverage in my childhood household because my mom enjoys a bit of dark red wine at  night. I also grew up attending church in which wine symbolized deeper religious concepts. Growing up, my parents and family friends would allow me to try a taste of wine on rare occasions. One memory I have of an instance like this is one summer afternoon in the backyard of a neighbor. We had just finished a barbeque with pulled pork sandwiches and tomato and mozzarella salad. As the only younger person present, they had a few different types of wine out and the hosts offered me a taste. I remember the wife of the host telling the husband that he should not have done that, but he was from Eastern Europe so he held different perspectives on what ages of people should try wine compared to most Americans.  I have fond memories gatherings with my parents friends and family gatherings where wine was al